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FOWLERVILLE — Already the Fowlerville boys and girls tennis head coach, Jim Jonas’ life just got a whole lot busier.

That’s because Jonas has assumed the role of varsity boys basketball coach, the Fowlerville athletic department announced Thursday.

“When (former boys basketball coach) Fred (Hackett) told me at our evaluation that he was stepping down, I had interest immediately. I just didn’t want to jump right in, because, with both tennis gigs, I’m pretty busy,” Jonas said. “So, I took some time to think it over with my family and we all came to the decision that an opportunity like this may not come around again. My wife and I both said, ‘If I want to do it, now’s the time to do it.’”

On top of coaching girls tennis for six seasons and starting the boys program — which has qualified for the state finals twice — from scratch 12 years ago, Jonas has about 20 years of experience coaching basketball.

He’s served as the JV boys hoops coach for the past eight years, was the freshman coach for four years before that, and prior spent four years at Fowlerville as the girls varsity head coach before relinquishing that role to spend more time with his young children.

Now his kids are older, and the chance to replace Hackett — who spent 15 years at the helm of the boys hoops program before stepping away in May — was too good to pass up.

“We’re very excited and very overwhelmed right now,” Jonas said with a laugh.

Becoming the varsity boys coach wasn’t always the end game. When Jonas accepted the JV spot, he was content with that. It was a tall task as it was, being a varsity coach of two teams that want to contend for state titles in the fall and spring while also having a position with the basketball team.

“It wasn’t the goal of mine to be the varsity coach,” Jonas said. “But, obviously, it’s the highest position you can get from a varsity standpoint. … I wasn’t pushing for it."

One person who was happy Jonas took the position was athletic director Brian Osborn.

“Coach Jonas is a fantastic coach and an even better person,” Osborn said in a press release. “We should all be excited to have a person of Jim’s character leading our young men. Jim’s knowledge of the game, player development (and) in-game adjustments that we have witnessed in previous years that are necessary to win and his ability to develop relationships will keep the future bright at Fowlerville.”

Jonas is trying to decipher a strategy to fit everything in. Tennis workouts started last week, and after a Monday meeting with his new basketball players, the summer hoops sessions will start as well.

The solution Jonas has arrived at is delegating more to his assistant coaches.

“That’s the life blood, the summer is where you make your move as a tennis team and tennis player, so I absolutely cannot sacrifice,” Jonas said. “Basketball is the same way, that’s where players get individual improvement.

“So, I’m going to have to lean on my staff to help out. In the past, as a JV coach, I’ve covered workouts for Hackett, and right from basketball, I went to tennis. But now I’m controlling three separate programs. That’s the balancing act I’m going to have to do.

“But It’s all new right now. We’ll figure it out. … I’m definitely going to do my best so that it does not affect those positions at all.”